Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



" ,ArT;FREEMAN.

Improvement in Breech-loading Fire-arms'..

No. 122,717. PatentedJan.116,187 -2.

Fig 1 Q2 Q9 A \J Fig 2 A WITNESSES I-NVENTOR AUSTIN T. FREEMAN, OF

HERKIMER, ASSIGNOR TO E. REMINGTON 8t SONS,

OF ILION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,717, dated J annary 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUsTIN T. FREEMAN, of Herkimer, Herkime-r county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to the construction of the breech-block andhammer of the arm known as the Remington, and consists in providing suitable notches or interlocking shoulders upon the breech and hammer so arranged that, if the trigger be pulled accidentally while the breech is unclosed,the said shoulders will prevent the breech from being closed until the hammer is again cocked. This improvement may be adapted to other arms having the same general arrangement of hammer and breech, but is specially applicable to the Remington system.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows the arm with the hammer cocked and the breech open to permit the insert-ion of the cartridge. Fig. 2 shows the position of the hammer and breech consequent upon pulling the trigger while the breech is open, and then attempting to close the breech without first cocking the hammer.

The breech A differs from that in ordinary use in the Remington arm only in having a notch, C, out in its exterior near the bottom. A spring is used to retain the block in its closed position, asnow practiced. ThehammerB is formed with a corresponding tooth or projection, D,

engaging with the notch in the breech, as shown, Fig. 2.

The operation of this device is as follows: The hammer is cocked and the breech-block swung back, as shown, Fig. 1, to permit the insertion of a cartridge. The cartridge is then inserted and the breech closed. If, before the breech-block is closed, the trigger is'pulled with sufficient force to liberate the hammer the mainspring presses the hammer against the breech block, and if now the breech is pushed forward the notches or shoulders G and D engage and prevent the complete closure of the breech until the hammer is again cocked. The spring holding the breech closed is sufiicient to complete the closing of the breech after it is carried forward to the point at which the notches G and D engage.

By this device an accidental discharge of the arm, consequent upon closing the breech through pressure applied to the trigger while the breech is open, is rendered impossible.

This device may be used in connection with or without other devices for accomplishing the same purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

The interlocking shoulders O and D on the hammer and breech, operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

AUSTIN T. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

W. S. SMooT,

,S. S. WEsTooTT. (18) 

